Woman reveals eerie dream she had just one week before surviving serial killer attack

Warning: This article contains discussion of rape which some readers may find distressing.

Cheryl Bartlett Fann has described how she escaped after being attacked by the depraved Cook brothers who went on a terrifying spree of sexually-motivated murders in Ohio between 1973 and 1981.

The brothers, Anthony and Nathaniel Cook, were eventually caught and jailed for their reign of terror in the form of rapes and murders around the Toledo, Ohio area.

Anthony was apprehended in 1981 - but Nathaniel evaded justice for a while longer, eventually being caught by DNA evidence in 1998.

While there is information online about many of his victims, there was quite a bit missing about the story of Cheryl Bartlett Fann who escaped - that is, until recently.

She was 18 when she went to meet her then-fiancé, Bud, at the supermarket where he worked.

Cheryl Bartlett Fann has described how she escaped after being attacked by the depraved Cook brothers. (Investigation Discovery)

The couple, who also had a young child at home, walked home together and were ambushed by the Cook brothers who then raped Cheryl before shooting her in the back.

Miraculously, she survived.

Recounting her traumatic experience, Cheryl told PEOPLE: "All of a sudden my body started shaking like something bad was going to happen. I started freaking out.

"A week before this, I dreamt I got shot. The night before I dreamt I got raped and shot. But I couldn't make out the faces of who was doing it."

She then shared that her mum warned her not to go out as the dream may be a sign of something - but she chose not to listen.

L-R: Nathaniel and Anthony Cook. (Lucas County Sheriff's Office)

Cheryl, who is now 61, continued: "After I was freaking out I saw a man - who I later learned was Anthony - kitty corner from where we were, coming across the street.

"I said, 'Bud, something's not right'. And he kind of yelled, 'You need to calm down. Nothing’s going to happen. I will protect you'. I hate those words to this day."

The devastating ordeal then began to unfold.

Cheryl gave the brothers her gold diamond engagement and wedding ring set in the hopes it was a robbery.

Then Nathaniel joined the scene and the abuse began.

Cheryl said: "When they were done violating me, they made me stand up, get dressed and told Bud to hold me tight. Then they shot me in the back."

A week before the attack, Cheryl had a dream that she was shot. (Investigation Discovery)

She continued: "I heard the gun click. It didn't have any more bullets.

"If they had any more bullets, we would've been dead right there until somebody found us."

The brothers then ran off.

Ultimately, Cheryl says Bud left her because 'he was upset that he couldn’t protect me and he left us because of me being raped'.

Following the ordeal, Cheryl shared: "I was in the hospital for three and a half weeks. I have had more than 20 surgeries since then because of the bullet, which broke apart when I was shot."

Cheryl has since found true love.

She said: "I started seeing a therapist after the attack then stopped. Now my best therapy is my husband, Danny. He will listen. He doesn't sit there and say, you shouldn't have been out. He doesn't criticise."

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.